Blogs from Palencia, Castile & León, Spain, Europe

Today is the last easy day before 3 solid days on the Meseta, concluding in an 18km walk into León. I’m in the Hostel Santiago, in the same room as 2 years ago, only alone. It’s bliss. I even have a bath. I walked out of the albergue today at 6.50, followed by 2 Taiwanese girls who intended on going 34kms. Goodbye and good luck. The prediction is for a hot day and the last 17 kms will have no villages and no shade. My 17kms started with an extended breakfast at a bar I knew opened at 6.30. The initially grumpy owner soon cheered up, and when he learnt I am Australian, went out the back to show me his toy koala and Australian coaster map. Very nice. He was chatty, gave me a gift ... read more

We have arrived in Terradillos de Templarios after a long walk across the Meseta. No breakfast, or opportunity for food for the first 17kms; nuthin' ! The walk was along nice paths with little to see except stubble and some trees in the distance. I chatted to Koreans, Canadians, and avoided some loud Australians, as I walked along today . My new boots are great and are the most comfortable Bestards I've ever worn; that's not a typo, they are Bestards. I won't go on too much today as the Internet is poor and I'm using what little is left of my own data. Dinner is here tonight and tomorrow we head to Calzadilla de Los Hermanillos, 27 kms away. A few pics tell a little more, adios Amigos. León on Monday; very well deserved.... read more

12 September 2015, Saturday, Stage 18, Carrion de los Condes to Calzadila de las Cueza. GPS: 10.65 miles, Leave at 0920 arrive at 1420 after only 5 hours from Monasterio San Zoilo to Hostal Camino Real. 3 hours 31 minutes actually moving. Fitbit: miles 10.25, steps 23,466, stairs 7. The shortest stage and the road with the least bends, 12 kilometers straight across the Meseta. We eat breakfast at San Zoilo and head west. We bid farewell to Ariana and Heather as they plan to walk and then take a taxi back to Carrion and see other items of interest in the area. This is the day of the l-o-n-g, straight walk on an old Roman road, built more than 2,000 years ago with more than 100,000 tons of stone carried here from quarries to elevate ... read more

Route: Boadilla del Camino - Carrión de los Condes A good day. Starting with a breakfast during which a table of people expressed their surprise (in a possitive way) about my age. Made me feel good. The first 3 hours we walked in the mist. Somewhat hummid but very pleasant. Flat terrain all the way. Walked a couple of hours with Alain, a french canadian who talks 70 minutes in an hour, but is entertaining. We met up with a new champion in walking. A Frenchman from Paris that looked like an hobo, who told us that he had been walking the last fifteen... yes, fifteen years, carrying all his belongings in something like a shopping cart. You really can not miss the guy. Before you see him, you can hear him. The wheels of his ... read more

Hey everyone, Slowly getting myself up to date with the blog... Two weeks ago I returned to Guardo to visit all my friends, former colleagues and students from last year and had an absolutely wonderful weekend. I caught an early bus from Santander on Friday morning and changed buses in Aguilar de Campoo, a town on the eastern edge of Palencia. I had about an hour and a half before catching the bus to Guardo so I spent the time walking around Aguilar. It's a small town with about the same population as Guardo but is much more attractive with a charming historic center. Up on a hill that overlooks the town there are the ruins of a castle and there is also a Romanesque church. When I arrived in Aguilar it was quite foggy out ... read more